Penta had the opportunity recently to test drive a 2024 Mercedes Maybach GLS 600, a wonderfully opulent and giant SUV brought to you by the engineers and designers in Stuttgart, Germany.
Mercedes has given its GLS large size family of SUVs the full Maybach treatment. In a few words: Grand opulence, smooth limousine ride and a lavish interior that will bring a wide smile to the face of anyone who can afford it. Cost? US$175,500 (MSRP).
Penta’s loaner (US$202,500) had all the bells and whistles, like champagne flute holders in the rear console; a spectacular and eye-grabbing two tone paint job; 23-inch forged Monoblock wheels; folding tables in rear, plus a refrigerator or cooler compartment between the 2 back seats.
The SUV takes its name from Wilhelm Maybach, who started his company early in the 20th century, producing cars in the 1920s and ’30s that were the epitome of innovation, style, luxury, and craftsmanship. Maybach’s firm was eventually absorbed by Mercedes. There are numerous small physical differences to the 23 Maybach GLS, but the new grille design and added badging, among others, stand out the most.
The Maybach is a shot across the bow of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, whose luxury and performance cars cost at least US$100,000 more. The Mercedes-Benz brand is perhaps one rung below, hence the use of the storied sobriquet of Maybach.
If done properly, it’s a sub-brand that can be exploited and raise the entire marque, much like the seven-in-a-row Mercedes F1 team championships did. The Maybach’s approach on the street seemed to get more verbal shoutouts (“Nice car!” or “Wow” or “Like a Limo”) from pedestrians than knowing nods.
The Drive
The driver will have superb handling and performance mixed with the incredible safe feel that a big SUV brings. The Maybach version of the GLS with the Executive Rear Seat package only holds 4 passengers, compared to the 5-passenger standard Maybach GLS 600. In any case, what Maybach lacks there is surely made up in the quality of the experience: roomy with seats that massage the passengers, foot rests for those in the back, and the interior cushioned with soft diamond-quilted Nappa leather all around and real wood trim.
The safety features include emergency braking with pedestrian detection; and adaptive cruise control with lane centering feature. And not only is this SUV solid, it has an excellent surround view system. The head up display on the windshield gives not only speed, but RPMs, cruise control updates, and notes when you are moving above the local speed limit.
The Maybach is a joy to drive. It’s both a limousine and SUV. It’s a handsome car, and yes, you will learn to think of it as a car rather than an SUV.
Our tried-and-true SUV test is the Mary Hill Smith Road in Sullivan County, New York, a rude downhill, unpaved road with blind twists and turns, and littered with ruts, boulders, and the occasional log. The only other vehicles on this road are 4x4s. The Maybach never lost traction, but for one brief second, when we were going 40 mph in a 15-mph zone. Our bad. No animals were hurt during this test.
The Specs
This Maybach comes equipped with a 4-liter, V8 engine and a 9-speed transmission that will produce 550 horsepower and a jump—despite its gross weight over 6,000 pounds—of zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds. From the moment you stomp on the accelerator, it’s as if the Maybach goes into warp drive.
This SUV is big. How big? Try 6 feet high by over 17 feet long and nearly 7 feet wide (80 inches). Add a tank turret and you’d have a Panzer tank. Just kidding. But we did manage to scuff this fat boy in two places pulling into a narrow driveway. Ouch. Sorry, Mercedes. It was a teachable moment. We should have paid more attention to the surround safety system, but we were having too much fun. As might be expected, this SUV’s inertial energy must be respected, particularly going down hills.
During daylight the Maybach badges and signage seem restrained, but at night there are courtesy lights all around the interior as well as a Maybach “puddle light” against the ground as the passengers step in or out. This is an absolute must when exiting to the Metropolitan Opera Annual Gala. You get a choice of 12 colors for interior courtesy lights, one for each month of club hopping.
It’s rated at 14 miles per gallon city and 19 mpg highway, and that’s about what we managed.
What’s Not to Like
Not much. The storage space in the back is smaller than it would seem from the outside. The back seat cooler (an option) takes up a good part of the trunk. But then how could you go for a country ride without chilled Champagne.
The 2024 Mercedes Maybach GLS 600 is swift of foot and gives a sweet ride. Its big dimensions mean big fun. And though this Maybach will likely be pitched as a limo, don’t sell yourself short—drive it. We didn’t want to return it.
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